Maruti Suzuki India Limited has joined forces with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to foster the growth of startups in the automotive and mobility sectors. The partnership, formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed today in New Delhi, aims to provide technology-driven startups with vital resources for innovation and business development.
As part of this collaboration, startups recognized by DPIIT under the Startup India initiative will be granted access to Maruti Suzuki’s wide array of innovation programs. The selected startups will benefit from expert guidance, insights into industry trends, and access to Maruti Suzuki’s testing facilities and infrastructure for product validation. Additionally, the partnership will open doors for startups to engage with incubators, accelerators, and investors, helping them scale their operations and bring new solutions to the market.
The MoU signing ceremony was attended by key officials, including Sanjiv, Joint Secretary at DPIIT, alongside Maruti Suzuki executives such as Independent Director Anjali Bansal and Director of Corporate Planning Sunil Kakkar. Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer for Corporate Affairs at Maruti Suzuki, emphasized that the collaboration aligns with the government’s Startup India and Make in India initiatives. Shri Sanjiv highlighted Maruti Suzuki’s expertise and long-standing industry presence, making it a valuable partner for nurturing India’s startup ecosystem.
Maruti Suzuki has been running innovation programs for six years, during which it has reviewed over 5,220 startups, engaged with approximately 150, and onboarded 28 as business partners. The company manages four key programs: Accelerator, Incubation, Mobility Challenge, and Nurture, each designed to help early-stage companies thrive in the competitive automotive and mobility markets.
Launched in 2016, the Startup India initiative, managed by DPIIT under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, seeks to promote entrepreneurship across India’s diverse sectors. Through this new partnership, Maruti Suzuki and the government aim to create a robust ecosystem that supports the growth of innovative startups, ultimately contributing to the advancement of India’s automobile industry.
